A Hundred Joys

Going north on Broadview Ave (known in Chinese as 百樂匯街 – A Hundred Joys Gathering Street), take a right turn onto Gerrard. The first aroma that you will encounter is the smell of roast pork, hanging from the windows of 家家乐 (Wok & Roast Chinese BBQ). As you round the corner, a full street of fresh fruits and vegetables sprawl across the sidewalk, atop neatly piled cardboard boxes. Elders peruse the sidewalk fruits and chat with store owners. An ice cream store catches your eye, and you are greeted by ice cream flavours beyond imagination – Vietnamese Coffee, White Rabbit Candy, Salted Egg Miso – all handcrafted by the friendly Mr. Wong. Your friend is on her way from Green P Lot 146, a towering archway with upturned eaves, guarded by stone lion statues.

This short, 5-minute film highlights the rich tenacity of Toronto’s East Chinatown community, through the exploration of its people, sidewalks, and businesses.

Directed by Amanda Ann-Min Wong
Produced by Jeff Chiu

About the filmmaker: Amanda Ann-Min Wong (she/they) is a Toronto-based film director, writer, sound artist, and musician. Their work explores themes of loss, nostalgia, and memory, as well as finding purpose and community through the arts. Their short films have screened internationally; nominated for awards such as the Golden Sheaf Award at Yorkton, a Best Canadian Short Award at VAFF, and the Iris Prize in Cardiff, Wales. In their free time, Amanda loves rocking out with their band, cutsleeve, whose debut EP “the parts we could not abandon” released in 2020 to critical acclaim.

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